


The things I do for you

by Ursapharoh15



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman and the Signal (Comics), We Are Robin (Comics)
Genre: Batfamily Feels, Brotherly Love, Gen, School Yard Fight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-09-29 03:15:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17195480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ursapharoh15/pseuds/Ursapharoh15
Summary: Duke sticks up for his little brother Damian.





	The things I do for you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nautrielle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nautrielle/gifts).



Gotham academy was infamous for their work load and long odd schedules. Every other school in the city was out for winter break almost a whole week early. But, the children of the rich and famous were stuck wearing grey slacks or pleated skirts in a Gotham winter.

Duke’s science class had stopped doing anything days ago. He'd long since reclined in his chair taking in the results of the heavy storm. The big snowflakes had left his fingers and exposed mouth frostbitten. Snow had settled in deep, heavy drifts all across the city. The school grounds were a combination of slushy mud puddles and untouched snow.

A baggy of grapes and crackers slide across the desk to bump his books. Out of the chaos of the class his little group of friends are dragging chairs to settle in around him.

“Wayne, will you tell this loser that the Robin movement failed not because of a lack of training. But, from a lack of community support.” Duke winces as Amelia kicks at his stretched out legs until he finally moves. Amelia smirks as she settles in her seat stretching in Duke's space and picks at her sugar cookie.

“Actually, I’m a ward—,”Duke reminds around he and Mason's handshake.

Mason shoves a handful of snacks into his mouth before talking, “Amelia, I’m not playing this game again. The Rob’s failed for the same reason every movement fails. First, lack of management. Second, the group loses sight of what they’re fighting for. Roll credits for the Robs, textbook.”

Duke covers his tired grin with a derisive snort. It was hard to keep his work and school life separate when they overlapped in the small ways. It was hard to get people to call him Duke Thomas instead of Duke Wayne. It was harder to get them to drop the hero talk. Shaking his head Duke tries to refocus and paste on an interested face,”You’re both wrong.”

That starts a whole round of groaning as his friends roll their eyes at his so called crazy theories. Duke manages to rave about birds and bats until the last bell rings and they’re dismissed. He takes his time packing up, savoring that very last moment of being around normal kids his age. The hallways bustle with teenagers, it's nice to be on his own for a second.

Stepping out of the halls and into the frozen courtyard everything's covered in a layer of snow. The wrought iron fence separating the younger from the older grades is wet and rusted. Duke hangs his backpack from it as he pulls on his thread bare Gotham Guardians sweatshirt. He shoves his hands deep into the pocket at the front and slumps against the bars. At a time like this he wishes he had his dad’s mittens to steal. The Wayne socks and Gotham academy shoes keep his feet dry at the least. Duke kicks at slush waiting to catch sight of Damian.

The swarm of prep children hit the cold air and laughter and shouts fill the air. Any lingering students on Duke’s side of the fence meander to meet their younger siblings. Duke waits until he sees the stiff little boy with the bright red Robin beanie. The red pom pom painstaking shuffled down the sidewalk. Designer gloves cradling a Christmas colored monstrosity.

Duke purses his lips to whistle their secret code but the cold air dries up the first attempt. It’s two careful licks of his dry chapped lips and he whistles out Damian's greeting. The red capped head snaps up and the slow crawl stops in favor of adjusting the object and raising an arm to wave. Duke waves back and motions to meet at their second confirmed meeting spot. It was cold enough without trying to prolong their exposure by talking through the fence.

Duke beats Damian to the elementary school entrance with ease. Duke waves and chats with some acquaintances while he wait for Damian to shuffle over. Finally he sees his shorty in the bright red robin hat round the corner. No sooner does Duke spot Damian does a group of boys spot Damian. The group abandons their roughhousing in the snow. The group follows the very focused young Wayne with quick steps and mean grins.

Duke zeros in on the shift, Damian does too though he dutifully ignores the pack trailing behind him. Duke won’t fight a fight that Damian may want to handle on his own. He keeps an eye out and occupies himself with kicking snow from his shoes on one of the pillars at the entrance.

The red and green construction paper and glitter are stark against the gray of the Gotham winter. The project stands no chance as one flunky grabs Damian's hat and another slaps at the project in his hands. Damian tries to protest but the construction paper disintegrates against the heavy snow. The last of its life is bleeds away in the grimy Gotham puddle it’s kicked into. The construction paper trapped under one of the offending bully's Uggs. From the looks of it, Jasper O’Donovan, a brown haired, acne faced, beast of a thirteen year old is ringleader. Too big for his age, parents too rich for anyone to bother challenging him, a valid threat.

Duke watches as Damian stands in silent horror. Christmas project decimated by the O'donovan and his little pack of cronies. Once the project is unidentifiable to everyone that had slowed down to watch. All the attention snaps to the frozen Damian.

The look on his face was enough, wide hazel eyes glued to his hard work. Papers covered in mud and soaked through, his shoulders slumped, mouth slack in a frozen cry. All that work, all that caring, ruined within minutes completion. No sooner does Duke see all  
that bare emotion does Damian suck it all away.

Damian had a whole pamphlet of rules Bruce had made up for him. Don't kill, respect your family, eat your vegetables. Being able to attend public school like his friends and peers came with more rules. At the top of the list would be ‘ No fighting’ and in parenthesis most likely ‘especially civilians’. Damian took those rules to be law, especially once Duke began attending school with him. He’d spent long, long, long hours drilling each rule with Duke, but the one Damian focused on was always ‘No fighting’.

Duke was never given any explicit rules by Bruce.

Damian ducks his head and clenches his hands into fists as he shoves passed the circle of gathered kids. He makes it to Duke with some effort and reaches to take a fist of the loose worn yellow fabric of his sweater. Damian gives a tug,”I believe, I am ready to return home, Thomas.”

Duke purses his lips and sucks his teeth,”Yeah? Cool, I’m gonna need a minute.” Duke can’t work Damian’s tight fist off of his sweater. It doesn't stop him but from dragging them both back over to where Jasper and his crew stand laughing it up.

It was nothing for Duke to shove through the group and stoop down to pick up the remains of Damian’s project. A designer shoe stops him from his goal. A prepubescent voice sneers,”What’s the matter Wayne? Had to get your hundredth brother to fight your battles for you?”

“Actually, I’m a ward.” Duke straightens up and studies the group coldly, “And you need to back off.”

The groups shifts glancing to Jasper at the tone of the sixteen year old in their midst. Damian gives another tug on Duke’s sweatshirt. Duke shrugs him off,”You need to apologize to Damian and then we’ll take his project and be on our way.”

Jasper looks panicked a moment before he lifts his pimple dotted chin,” Oh, so you’re Dami the doggy’s handler. You must not be doing your job because the little terrorist puppy doesn’t know his pla--”

It’s a quick and dirty right hook, no bat training about it. The contact of fist to face is quick and all Gotham narrows. Duke stands with his fists up and ready, fire in his eyes and ice in his tone,”Apologize.”

The crowd gasps and reels back. Jasper collapses with a loud squeal clutching his bloody nose,”You broke my nose! Kevin! He broke my nose!”

Duke ignores the growing circle of kids and instead kicks some slush at the downed boy,”Get up, Jasper. I’m waiting on that apology.”

Instead of an apology, the group breaks apart by a larger boy with with an ugly sneer and brown hair like Jasper. That must be Kevin then. Duke sizes him up, the bulk and jersey reminds him that Bruce had bragged about there being a rugby team. The kid looks from Jasper to Duke's stance and Damian’s panicked look for the fight to get started in earnest.

 

A teacher only comes after Duke has Kevin O’donovan down and bloodied. Jasper O’donovan is screeching apologies in the snow and slush right next to the flying limbs. Damian has both fists wrapped tight in Dukes hoodie and is doing everything in his power to pull them away. The only time it works is once the teacher is helping and even then Duke gets two more good punches in. He's quick to grab the soggy remains of Damian’s project and pocket them.

Once inside the school again Duke slouches into the chair outside the principal’s office. he pays no mind to the lecture the teacher gives him while dragging him inside. His face stays unreadable as he’s read the riot act and told to wait out in the hall. He doesn’t move besides a roll of the eyes at the O’donovan’s wailing to the principal and their parents through the door.

Neither Duke or Damian make a move to say anything. Duke only moves to use his wet sweater to wipe what mud and water he can from the ruined construction paper. Ripped and crumpled is how he slides it onto Damian’s lap.

The silence hangs heavy for a second before a quiet hiccup fills the air. A glance over shows Damian head down fighting back tears. Duke winces, tears were not his forte,”Aw come on Dami, Damian, I’m sorry I didn’t get to you sooner I shoulda--”

“It is ruined,”Damian sobs,”It is ruined and father will--will--”

“That was for Bruce?” Duke tries to look better at the ruined gift but Damian clutches it to his chest,”Hey, it’s okay, man. You can make a new one,” He drops his voice,”Come over to my place and he won’t even know. Okay?”

Damian shakes his head and cries into the ruined papers. Forget the strict orders to stay in these seats Duke wasn’t going to just do nothing. Watching his little Robin assassin brother fall apart wasn't going to happen, not if he could help it. Duke kneels in front of Damian and catches the little boy as he flies off his own seat and into his waiting arms.

The hug is tight and the tears don’t stop as Duke rocks them both side to side. He can’t imagine he’s all that comfortable to cuddle up with right now. The heavy yellow sweatshirt is damp and dirty, and Duke himself smells of post patrol and body spray. Little arms hold tighter. Duke sings, whispers, and murmurs every reassurance he can think of, ”I’ll take the fall for this one." and,”Don’t you worry, anyone comes after you again and they’re worse than dog meat." and also ,”Brothers look out for each other, no one messes with you. Period."

Damian doesn’t let go until Bruce arrives. By then there is snot and tears all over Duke and his legs have fallen asleep. The current robin has crushed himself against his chest had been crying for the worse part of an hour. Deep soul shattering sobs calmed against thick yellow cotton, as hands fist at his back.

Duke looks up when a shadow settles over them both. He's more than a little thankful when Bruce tangles his hand in Damian’s hair and the kid latches onto him instead. Duke gets to his feet and tries to stretch out straining muscles, avoiding whispering next to him.

Finally, Bruce grabs Dukes hand and looks over his bloodied knuckles with a calm assessment before sighing,”We will be talking about this at home,” Bruce waits for Dukes nod,”Thank you... for defending your brother.”

“ I'm only a war--" Brown eyes avoid steely blue as Bruce raises his eyebrow,"Uh, no problem, Bruce. I wasn’t going to let them do him like that.” Duke Ducks his head,”The kids real broken up about your ruined gift though.”

Bruce gives Damian a kiss on the head before turning for the principal's door,”The gift was for you, Duke.” Then he’s slipping inside and the yelling quiets before exploding again.

Duke and Damian sit alone in the hallway again, Duke blinking away surprise. Why would Damian go through all that heartbreak over a gift? A gift for Duke no less.

The yelling in the other room increases with Bruce’s voice carrying. The small hand grabbing and holding Dukes is a surprise but he squeezes it back. Ward or no ward, this is his brother and Duke isn’t going to let anyone get to him.

"I intended for it to be a graphic novel of sorts." Damian sniffs and picks at one of Duke's callouses," A visual telling of one of your Dragon role playing games."

"You, drew me one of my campaigns?" Duke can't hide the amazement at the thought,"You did all that for me?"

Damian chooses to keep his gaze straight a head," Though you fail to acknowledge it, you are my brother. A fellow robin even, I will not let you feel as I felt when I first arrived."

Duke can't speak for fear of the tears escaping so he squeezes as tight as he can and gets himself under control. The door knob turns and the door opens to Duke feeling more like a Wayne than ever before.

**Author's Note:**

> This was so fun and stressful to write! So much of it's success goes to my good friend Hollyhock13 and her ability to be critical and kind! Happy holidays and I hope you all have the greatest of new years!!


End file.
